Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, reiterated his support of a universal single-payer Medicare for all, inspired by health care programs in Europe. On CNN’s Crossfire, he called the Affordable Care Act that Congress passed in 2010 a “good Republican program,” referring to the Massachusetts program introduced by former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney that served as the blueprint for what has come to be known as Obamacare.FULL POST

(CNN) - Hillary Clinton on Tuesday defended Obamacare against "a noisy minority" in Congress and described some Republicans' legislative tactics to defund the landmark program as "deeply distressing" and "bad politics."

"This president is not going to agree to defund health care," Clinton said at a health panel just before President Barack Obama was to make an appearance.

CNN's GUT CHECK | for September 24, 2013 | 5 p.m.
– n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

TED CRUZ STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT WITH A PLEDGE: “I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I am no longer able to stand"... At 2:41 PM ET, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took to the Senate floor to deliver remarks on the shutdown debate that could potentially last through the night - a dramatic step in defense of his high profile, controversial plan to prevent any funding for Obamacare: “I intend to speak in opposition to Obamacare. I intend to speak in support of defunding Obamacare until I am no longer able to stand. To do everything that I can to help Americans stand together and recognize that this grand experiment three and half years ago is quite simply not working.”

With Bill Clinton showing up late to the first panel of the day at the annual Clinton Global Initiative gathering in New York City, the Irish rock star, businessman, and global activist took his place, nailing an imitation of the former president.FULL POST

(CNN) - President Barack Obama reframed U.S. foreign policy priorities on Tuesday by focusing his administration's immediate attention on Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

"While these issues are not the cause of all the region's problems, they have been a major source of instability for far too long, and resolving them can help serve as a foundation for a broader peace," he said in a 50-minute speech on the opening day of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Washington (CNN) - Sorry, Newt Gingrich fans in Virginia. It looks like the former House speaker won't be running for the U.S. Senate in 2014.

His attorney issued a cease and desist letter, demanding a group of Gingrich supporters to stop using his likeness as they try to draft the former presidential candidate to run against Democratic Sen. Mark Warner in Virginia.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon for remarks on the shutdown debate that could potentially last through the night - a dramatic step in defense of his high profile, controversial plan to prevent any funding for Obamacare.

Washington (CNN) - GOP infighting over how best to prevent a government shutdown while defunding Obamacare escalated further on Tuesday, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell publicly dismissed the more confrontational strategy adopted by freshman tea party darling Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

"I don't think that filibustering a bill that defunds Obamacare is the best route to defunding Obamacare," McConnell, R-Kentucky, said on the Senate floor. "All it does is shut down the government and keep Obamacare funded, and none of us want that."

Washington (CNN) - Ted Cruz says he wasn't elected to the Senate to stay quiet. And his refusal to observe its protocol and sit back and learn like freshman are expected rubbed some of his more senior colleagues the wrong way.

And while he has angered much of his party over his crusade against President Barack Obama's health care law and the potential government shutdown it could cause, he says he's standing for the same principles that got him elected.